Which supermarket makes the tastiest tomato sauce?

HOW WE CONDUCTED OUR TASTE TEST

IT'S FREE AND FAIR!

Chefs-in-training make excellent tasters. They're curious about food; they have a well -developed sense of taste; and when it comes to rating a product, they pull no punches.

For this reason, we asked students from the Johannesburg Culinary and Pastry School to join us for a blind tasting of own-brand tomato sauces from leading supermarkets.

All products for the tasting were purchased, stripped of their packaging and numbered by the Sunday Times team in the school's kitchen. Auditor Jade Craig monitored the process and added up the scores. 

THE RESULTS

FIRST PLACE: SPAR

Price: R24.79 for 700ml

What the judges said:

• Busisa: Very tomato-ey, very nice.
• Tsholefelo: Very balanced flavour. I can taste the umami.
• Kabelo: It's not bad.
• Kutloano: I really like it and am going to put it on everything.

SECOND PLACE: PICK N PAY

Price: R18.99 for 700ml

What the judges said:

• Mandy: Good, concentrated flavour, real tomato. Quite sweet.
• Busisa: Too sweet.
• Yolanda: Sweet like a tomato jam.
• Sharon: Quality is good but sweet.

THIRD PLACE: WOOLWORTHS

Price: R31.99 for 565g

What the judges said:

• Yolanda: Acidic with small particles of tomato.
• Mpumelelo: Nice taste and appearance.
• Kutloane: Tastes like All Gold, I'd recognise it anywhere.

FOURTH PLACE: CHECKERS

Price: R15.99 for 750ml

What the judges said:

• Mangaliso: Not a great taste, quite artificial.
• Sharon: I feel like some food colouring has been added.
• Tsholefelo: Too bright in colour, very sour tasting.